Physics Graduate Student Association

The Physics Graduate Student Association (PGSA) was established for the purpose of facilitating and improving the communication and camaraderie between all the graduate students within the department. It also provides the department’s graduate students a “voice” to the department’s faculty, to the college and at the campus-wide level.

All students registered for a graduate degree within the department are automatically members of the PGSA. The PGSA is run by officers elected annually in September. These consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. Two senators are also elected each September to represent the PGSA and department at UMBC’s campus-wide GSA meetings. The PGSA president also meets with the chair of the Physics department on a regular basis, and with the Dean of the College of Natural & Mathematical Science at least once a semester.

The current PGSA officers are:

President

Roy Prouty

prouty1@umbc.edu

Vice President

Kyle Cox

kylecox1@umbc.edu

Treasurer

Brendan Hurst

bhurst1@umbc.edu

Secretary

Lutfi Nimer

nl2@umbc.edu

Applied Physics Senators

Kyle Cox
Gene Shanholtz

kylecox1@umbc.edu
eshanh1@umbc.edu

Atmospheric Physics Senators

Brian Carroll
Roy Prouty

brian25@umbc.edu
prouty1@umbc.edu

The PGSA meetings are held approximately once a month during the semester [Schedule of Meetings]. At these meetings any issues and concerns are discussed. In addition, regular “Meet & Greets” are held so that members of the departmental faculty may give an overview of their research and opportunities for potential thesis projects. The latter, along with an annual poster session arranged by the PGSA, are especially valuable for new graduate students.

The PGSA also organizes a number of social events throughout the year, at which students can ‘let their hair down’ (bowling trips, poker nights, Cinco de Mayo celebrations, etc.).

Useful Links

Previous students have found the following links helpful. They are listed as a courtesy only—the PGSA and UMBC do not endorse any non-UMBC sites.

PROMISE is Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate. Led by UMBC, PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP is dedicated to the increasing the number and diversity of PhD graduates, particularly in the sciences and engineering who go on to academic careers.